Dan Hardy will now serve as the director of fighter operations for PFL (Professional Fighters League) Europe.
Former mixed martial artist Dan Hardy started his professional career in Jun. 2004 as a rising English sensation. He found success under the Cage Warriors banner in the UK before masking his way to the UFC. He rose to prominence in the late 2000s and even got to challenge for the welterweight championship against Georges St-Pierre in Mar. 2010.
Since stepping away from competition, Hardy made a name for himself with his analytical abilities and forged a partnership with the PFL as a broadcaster.
Dan Hardy will serve as the director of fighter operations for PFL Europe
In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Dan Hardy announced that he will lead the fighter operations for PFL Europe.
“A lot of people know I joined forces with the PFL,” said Hardy. “I’ve been working alongside their broadcasting team. Started working with them in November but recently, as of Monday this week, I’ve joined the company as director of fighter operations for PFL Europe. I’ve got a great opportunity to really have a good influence in Europe and try and help some of these fighters with opportunities that are not presented to them at the moment.”
Breaking News: Dan Hardy announces on #TheMMAHour that he's joining PFL Europe as head of fighter operations.
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— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) March 15, 2023
Hardy’s optimistic about the growth of MMA in Europe
‘The Outlaw’ detailed the nature of his new role, expressing optimism about the growth of MMA in Europe with the help of PFL.
“The PFL global team have done a great job building the roster this year. I’ll have some influence on the fighters and the events later this year. But really I’ll take up the matchmaker and talent scout for 2024. I’ve already started working at it now, built a database of fighters, kind of a wish list of the people around Europe that I feel are going to be a good fit for PFL and have got a lot of potential. It’s everyday watching fights, researching fights, trying to find the stars of Europe. We have so many fighters in Europe that are just undiscovered.”
“March 25th in Newcastle is the first PFL Europe event, PFL Europe 1. That will be first of four in Europe this year. We’ll do Berlin, Paris, and Dublin. Then next year we’re looking hopefully four or more.”
PFL has been a growing force in the sport with several high-profile events under its belt. Most recently, the promotion is eyeing signing former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou after his exit.